古き良き時代の昭和レトロ自転車を甦らせています。
昭和20年代～30年代国産の軽快車・実用車・運搬車の黄金時代。
当時は2ヶ月分の給料、「一家・一台・一生」の時代、謹製自転車の研究。 Emaiｌ: showajitensha@hotmail.co.jp They don't make them like they used to. This blog is dedicated to the research, restoration and preservation of bicycles from before during and just after the 1950's, a period when bicycles cost two months' salary; an age when each household had a single "the family" bicycle built to last a lifetime; a time when Japanese craftsmen and women poured their hearts into humbly producing art on wheels.

2011年6月17日 (金)

I receive quite a few emails from vintage bicycle fans both inside and outside of Japan. Recently I was contacted by "S" from overseas who was asking for information on Okamoto Bicycle Company.

I visited the Bicycle Culture Center in Tokyo which has a well stocked library and the friendly staff quickly produced a book entitled "Hurray for the Bicycle, 88 Year History of Noritsu". Noritsu it turns out was the name of the bicycle brand produced by Okamoto Bicycle Company.

Okamoto Bicycle Company not ony played a large role in Japan's bicycle production, but shared the honor of having produced the first all Japanese manufactured automobile. Not having time to read the entire book, I copied the company history, which lasted just under 100 years!

MEIJI-ERA1885 Matsuzo Okamoto begins manufacturing bicycle parts.1898 Starts manufacturing bicycles.1903 Completed the first all Japanese manufactured bicycle.1909 Company president travels to Germany and United Kingdom to collect information on bicycle manufacturing technology and purchase tooling equipment.1910 The Okamoto brothers establish Okamoto Brothers Company and set up a factory in Nagoya to produce "The Empire" bicycle for export.

TAISHO-ERA1919 Okamoto Cycle & Automobile Industries is established. Manufacturer of complete bicycles and airplane parts.1920 Completed production of the first all Japanese manufactured airplane wheel rims. Designated as airplane wheel rim supplier for military.1921 Construction of Shigei Factory in Gifu Prefecture is completed.1923 Production reaches 10,000 bicycles per month for a single brand.1925 Designated as official supplier of bicycles for the Japanese Navy.

SHOWA-ERA1927 Emperor Showa selects "The Noritsu" brand bicycle for his own.。 Designated the official supplier of bicycles for The Ministry of Communications.1933 Okamoto Cycle & Automobile Industries, in a joint venture with three other companies, produces the first all Japanese manufactured automobile, " The ATSUTA".

1934 Supplies sidecar equipped motorcycles to the Japanese Army。1935 Company divided into Bicycle Production and Weaponry Production. Shigei Factory in Gifu is expanded and devoted entirely to bicycle manufacturing. In the same year, changed the company name to Okamoto Industries and completed construction of the Ogaki Factory in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture.1937 Established Okamoto Airplane Industries and the Kasadera Factory in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture.1939 Purchased factory in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture and built another factory in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture.1940 Established the Shibata Factory in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture.1941 Okamoto Industries absorbed by Okamoto Airplane Industries and becomes the countries largest manufacturer of landing gears and wheel rims comprised of seven factories. The Shigei Factory is designated as a munitions factory and becomes the sole manufacturer of bicycles for the Japanese military. Photo of fighter plane funded by Okamoto Industries for the war effort.

1943 Constructed a top secret factory in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture. Factory is designated as communications factory.1945 Following the end of WWII all factories with the exception of three (Headquarters in Nagoya City, the Kasadera Factory and Shigei Factory) closed as they are designated as factories for war reparations.1946 Okamoto Cycle Company reestablished.1948 The Noritsu bicycle receives Ministry of Industry Award.1949 Designated as the official supplier for the Postal Ministry.1952 The Noritsu bicycle receives Ministry of Trade & Commerce Award.1955 Company is restructured factories devoted solely to bicycle production.1956 Company changes to Okamoto Noritsu Cycle Company.1962 Factories receive JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) approval from Ministry of Trade and Industry.1971 Company name changed to Noritsu Cycle Company.1972 Tie-up with Toyota Automobiles Sales Company, Toyota Noritsu Cycle established. Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute, Japanese Bicycle Manufacturing Association and other organizations formed.1973 Company closes its network of 84 sales offices, continues production but sales done through Toyota Automobile Sales Company.

2011年6月 3日 (金)

As I mentioned in the previous post on tire tubes, I ride an average of 2,500Km a year and in the six years that I have been riding an old bicycle, I have only had one puncture. That is one puncture for 15,000 kilometers.

If you look closely at the tread you will notice a raised letter "Z" pattern which is the initial for Zebra Bicycle Company.

In the 1950's in addition to the raised letters on the sidewalls, it was not uncommon for bicycle tire manufacturers in Japan to design the tread in the form of the manufacturer's company logo or company name.

Below is a scan from a 1958 catalog. Here you will notice that all the tires have the company name/logo in raised letters on the tread itself.

Note the tire tread reads: "THE BULL DOG TYRE" in English and in Japanese along with the company logo, the head of a bull dog.

After washing the tire with soap and water allow the tire to dry. Apply a generous coat of ArmorAll and let stand 20 minutes before wiping off. Once completely dry the tire can be buffed resulting in a nice sheen.

Below is the tire after using ArmorAll.A nice reddish brown tire. The Japanese nicknamed these tires Candy Tires (AME TAIYA) as their color resembled that of hard candy during that period. The color is actually due to a high concentration of natural rubber and lack of black carbon typically found in the predominantly popular black tires. Note the Zebra Company logo. The Zebra bicycle company produced its guarantee medal (Japanese only) in the same shape as the company logo.

Zebra Bicycle Company's roots date back to the days of the rickshaw. It's founder Choukichi Takahashi, in an effort to improve upon English bicycles created his own bicycle "The Zebra" and went on to form the Zebra Bicycle Company in 1903.

On the sidewalls of the appears the words Zebra Bicycle Company followed by the word KINSEI.

To me, no other word better conveys the spirit of the craftsmen and women of this period, or the Japanese spirit to provide the best product possible than this word KINSEI. It is written with two characters, the first meaning "humble" the second "to manufacture". The meaning is "to pour one's heart into producing the best product possible". 。

Today, "Made in Japan" is synonymous with high quality products. It is well known the world over that Japan produces excellent automobiles, motorcycles, electronic goods, etc. But 60 years ago Japan was in the early stages of rebuilding. It started with bicycles. But more on this fascinating subject in a future post.

For more on Zebra Bicycles please visit Jeff over at The Flying Pigeon Project who maintains a site dedicated not only to China's iron horse, The Flying Pigeon, but vintage bicycles from all over Asia. Recently he has run a fine post on a Zebra bicycle owned and restored by my fellow restoration enthusiast Mr Ishikawa (Japanese only).